We all have heard about how the print industry is constantly losing ground to other information technologies. The funny thing is, that every once in a while the very technology that threatens a conventional industry, ends up returning some life back into it. The newest mobile technology call "Quick Response" or QR Codes could do just that.

The idea behind QR codes is to provide instant information to your mobile device from a print medium. The code is a square made up from a series of smaller black and white boxes. Sort of a two dimensional bar code. Let’s say you are walking down the street and you come to a restaurant that you are unfamiliar with, but are considering going in to dine. Outside to building on a promotional sign, you spot a QR Code. You take out your mobile phone, scan the code and the complete restaurant menu is loaded onto your phone. Or instead, maybe a coupon for 25% off your next meal shows up. Businesses will always need print materials, and a tech savvy population will continue to demand interactivity with their mobile devices. QR Codes combine the best of both worlds.

QR Codes are most popular in larger cities and on college campuses. You also find them in magazines and on flyers. I believe that they will become increasingly common in other areas within the next couple of years. The important thing to realize is that the possibilities are almost limitless with this technology. They can be used to show text, call a phone number, send a text message, or link to a mobile web page. When linking codes to a web page, a form could be utilized to collect email addresses for a newsletter or you could provide more information on a product or service.

Once you have a QR scanning app on your phone, I have found that there is a sort of mystery in these codes that entices you to scan them to discover out what they have to offer. The QR Code is a standardize system actually develop by a subsidiary of Toyota. Since the code is standardized, you should get the same result with any QR scanning app, on any phone platform whether it is Android, iPhone or Blackberry. There are many online generators that let you create your own code to include for print.

If you are interested in setting up QR Codes for your business contact us for a free consultation.